Gaming addiction set to be recognised as a mental health disorder

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has for the first time, included “gaming disorder” in its list of mental health conditions in a draft of its 11th International Classification of Diseases guidelines, which will be published in 2018.

The WHO charactised a gaming disorder as a “pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour” both on or offline.

Notable traits include patients prioritising gaming over “life interests and daily activities and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurence of negative consequences”.

Patients must have shown symptoms for at least a year before diagnosis, although the guidance states that this is subject to change dependent on the severity of the case.

There are still a few days left to join the Southwark Conversation and have your say

With or without the council, the next few years will see new developments and buildings, new businesses and technology, and an ever-changing skyline. Southwark’s population will also continue to change, as more people choose to make our borough their home.

We have been bold in our plans to encourage home building and, with rapidly reducing budgets, finding ways to make sure private developers help pay for the thousands of new council homes we are building, the new leisure centres and libraries we have opened, and new cultural and open spaces.

We are also helping residents to take advantage of the opportunities around them, and have helped 5,000 people into work, as well as creating nearly 2,000 apprenticeships for local people. We’re also ensuring that as our population grows, we have the new schools, health services and transport improvements that our residents need – despite massive cuts in funding from national Government.

But we don’t want to make assumptions – we want to build on previous consultations to make sure we’re getting it right for you and your families now, and for future generations. We want to hear direct from our residents about how the changes are affecting you, how you feel about the future, and whether there’s anything you think we can do differently.

While we don’t have a magic wand, and the Government, the Mayor, the NHS and the private sector all play an important role in influencing our lives, the council does have some powers and levers that we can use to help make Southwark an even better place to live, work and play than it is today.

We want to hear from you – please take a few minutes to fill in our questionnaire before 24 December.

Death in the Ice: The Shocking Story of Franklin’s Final Expedition.

129 men, under the command of Captain Sir John Franklin, left England in 1845 to navigate the Northwest passage, through the Arctic to Asia. But they were never heard from again. What happened to them — did the ship sink? Did they freeze to death? Or did they starve and resort to cannibalism?

Death in the Ice at National Maritime Museum examines this fateful voyage and the many expeditions that attempted to find Franklin and his men. It starts with the tour de force that was Lady Franklin calling on everyone she could find to recover her husband’s expedition, and goes right through to the recent Canadian expedition which found the remains of the two ships of the expedition — Erebus and Terror.

As tickets are so limited we can only offer 1 ticket per carer, to request a ticket please call the office on 020 7708 4497, passes must be collected by Friday 22nd December at 12:00 noon.

Exhibition runs until 7th January.

Venue

The National Maritime Museum, Park Row, London SE10 9NF 6TE
view map

Almost 3 Million Over 60s Living Alone

New research reveals almost 3 million over 60’s currently live alone and a number of them could be spending some of the festive season by themselves.

Almost two thirds of these are women who could be affected by the “loneliness epidemic”.

Loneliness within the UK population has been a prominent topic this year, with special focus put on the elderly generation, whose families have grown up and spouses that may have passed away.

At time of research there were 130 posts on Twitter using #loneliness in the last hour. In addition, there are 12,100 searches for “lonely” and another 12,100 for “loneliness” on Google every month with 1000 more searches admitting “I feel so alone”.

The research which was conducted by health and wellbeing provider Benenden, using YouGov data, shows which regions of the UK have the highest percentage of over 60’s living alone.

According to Office for National Statistics, there were 65,648,054 people in the UK in 2016 with 18% of these aged 65 and over; totalling 11,816,649 people.

This new data suggests there are 1,755,347 females over 60 year olds and 1,142,314 men, living in a single person household.

These new insights show that the South West has the highest percentage of over 60’s living alone (5.8%), followed closely by Wales (5.2%) and Scotland (5%).

Aside from these top three locations, elderly men living alone are most likely to reside in the North of England compared to women who more commonly live in the South East and Yorkshire.

The full regional breakdown can be found here.

Helen Smith, Commercial Director at Benenden said: “The loneliness epidemic is real and happening all around us and it isn’t just older people who suffer from loneliness; it affects all ages. The shocking statistics are there for all to see and highlight just how much of a challenge it is that our society needs to overcome.

“We’ve been highlighting loneliness over the Christmas period, detailing three simple but very realistic scenarios where loneliness can have an adverse effect on your health and mental wellbeing.

“Tackling loneliness is difficult but not impossible. You could reconnect with old friends and relatives, join a club, class or society, get lost in a book, get a pet, but – most importantly – remember you are not alone. And for others who aren’t necessarily suffering, there’s still the need to reach out to anyone they think might be lonely – especially at Christmas.”

Christmas sheds light on the issues our elderly population face. For help and advice on elderly loneliness and to view the extended research figures visit: https://www.benenden.co.uk/be-healthy/lifestyle/tackle-loneliness-this-christmas-six-ways-you-can-help-today/

Universal credit helpline closure could hit poorest over Xmas, says MP

Labour MP Frank Field, chair of the Commons work and pensions committee, has urged the government to keep the universal credit helpline open during the Christmas break for claimants at risk of spending the festive season without money.

From 23 December to 1 January, job centre offices and the Universal Credit helpline are only fully operational on 28 and 29 December in England, Wales and Scotland. The helpline will open on 27 December in Scotland to to deal with payment enquiries from claimants from all nations.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it was normal for services to close at the weekend and during bank holidays, and said millions of universal credit payments would be brought forward in time for the Christmas break.

In a letter to Theresa May, Field wrote: “Any of my constituents making a claim for universal credit this week are due, if the system works as planned, to receive their first payment a few days either side of Christmas. However, if a problem arrises or an error is made during the process of their claim, that money will not arrive and my constituents will be without an income over Christmas. For my poorest constituents this could trigger a period without food, heat or light.”

“Usually it is the universal credit helpline that provides a vital layer of protection to those claimants who are without money and wish to enquire about the status of their claim so it can be resolved and money paid,” it continued.

“The thought of the chaos this will cause to the lives of some of my poorest constituents, and those across the country, is a hugely troubling one,” the letter read.

The universal credit system combines six benefits into one online-only system, aiming to simplify the benefits system and increase incentives for people to work.

The new system has suffered from problems with delays and implementation, pushing some claimants into rent arrears, food bank use and mental distress.

A DWP spokesperson said: “Just like organisations across the country, our offices are closed on public holidays but every year we bring forward over 20m payments worth more than £4bn to benefit claimants.

“Phone lines are open on 27 December to help people with any urgent payment-related enquiries, and open as usual every other day around the Christmas period.”

A few pictures from the Carers Christmas Party 2017

Great ready for the cold snap

You can collect a free bag of salt on Saturday 9 December.

Find out the eight locations you can collect your free salt from here

Most workplace carers ‘hiding in plain sight’

In the survey from Carers UK, published to coincide with Carers Rights Day today (24 November), nearly half of respondents said they ‘would not feel confident’ helping co-workers receive additional support and information from their employers.

Carers UK said it wanted employers, HR departments and key decision-makers within businesses to raise the profile of working carers and to improve access to financial and emotional support both inside and outside the workplace.

As part of this, the charity presented three key recommendations for employers. These included publicising policies to “create a culture of inclusion and support”, increasing the visibility of carers issues by “signposting to existing carer-friendly policies” and engaging with relevant forums and resources to help HR better support carers in the workforce. Even among those who managed or were aware of carers in the workplace, a striking number (64 per cent) did not direct them to further sources of information.

Katherine Wilson, head of employers at Carers, a Carers UK initiative, said three million working carers were “hidden in plain sight” as they did not discuss their caring responsibilities. Carers UK puts the total number of carers in the country at 6.5 million, 58 per cent of them women. It expects the figure to reach nine million by 2037.

In June 2016, People Management warned that businesses risked alienating working carers by failing to provide adequate support, while employees were having to use annual and sick leave to care for elderly relatives.

Acas has warned that the UK’s ageing population is likely to have far-reaching effects on the workplace, with thousands of workers experiencing increased pressure to juggle work with caring responsibilities.

Clare Sheridan, principal at Aon Employee Benefits, told People Management it was a “growing concern” and a “major burden” for employers, as well as the sandwich generation who are frequently looking after elderly relatives and their own children.

“Caring for elderly relatives can affect you mentally, socially, emotionally and physically and it can feel quite isolating, so the impact of not providing support for working carers is huge,” she said.

“It can affect attendance and productivity levels because carers are often having to use their annual leave to care for relatives or even pull sickies, so there are hidden costs too.”

Dr Brian Beach, senior research fellow at the International Longevity Centre, warned that informal carers were at “greater risk” of falling out of the labour market and the onus was on employers to ensure they provided the right kind of support.

“It’s always in the employer’s best interest to support working carers because they don’t want to lose their skills and expertise,” he said. “There are already structures in place to implement policies such as flexible working legislation and maternity leave, so the models are already there for the employers to adopt.”

But Dan Jones, director of innovation and change at the Centre for Ageing Better, said it was important for employers to make policies for working carers available for everyone in a non-discriminatory, inclusive way – rather than trying to identify and target specific employees.

He called for more clarity in current flexible working legislation to aid understanding of the grounds for refusing flexible working requests.

Making the case for further legislation to protect working carers, Jones said: “We want to see legislation that gives carers the right to return to work following absence. Returning to work after parental leave is guaranteed and we think there should be no difference for carers.

“Crucially, employers need to be more open to flexible flexibility. You can have a set timescale when you’re likely to return to work with childcare, but the nature of caring means you need to be more flexible as time off can fluctuate depending on health needs.”

Phil Allen, partner and employment lawyer at Weightmans, said some legislation providing protection and support to carers existed. The right to request a change to working hours or place of work now applies to all employees –  irrespective of their reasons for asking.

“However, there is a need for a balance, and employers can refuse such requests if they need to for business reasons. In our experience, many employers will try to accommodate such requests, or make alternative suggestions, if they are able to do so,” he said.

Many workers are probably unaware of the right to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to make arrangements for care of a dependant or because of unexpected disruption or termination of care arrangements, he said. While this is limited and aimed at alleviating short-term problems, it gives carers who require time off in an emergency some legal protection.

“One proposal in the Taylor review is for the right to request flexible working to be extended to cover temporary changes, as it is currently limited to a request to permanently change working arrangements,” said Allen.

“Such a change might be sensible and may assist both employers and employees in reacting to changes in care requirements. Employers are currently able to voluntarily agree temporary changes.”

Calling all knitters and crotcheters!

Bonding squares are pairs of 5 inch by 5 inch knitted or crochet squares (any colour, design and wool – please do be aware it needs to be machine washable for accidental spit up moments).

How virtual reality is taking dementia patients back to the future

In a comfortable armchair, glass of sherry at her side, Elspeth Ford is getting to grips with her 3D goggles. “Maybe I’ll go another other way now,” she says, looking left, right, up, down. She breaks into a cheery rendition of the Lambeth Walk.

Elspeth, 79, is a resident at Langham Court, a dementia care home in Surrey, and today she is trialling a virtual reality project, Wayback, that has been designed especially for those living with dementia. Peering into her headset, Elspeth is temporarily transported to 2 June 1953, and a street party for the Queen’s coronation. She is enjoying a children’s fancy-dress competition. “I love that boy dressed as an Oxo cube,” she laughs.

This is the first in what will become a series of virtual reality films set at historic moments, and available free for those with dementia, their families and carers to enjoy together through a mobile phone and a pair of inexpensive 3D goggles. The idea was developed by three advertising creatives with family experience of dementia. For Camilla Ford, Elspeth’s daughter, it is an exciting concept. “It gave Mum a huge amount of pleasure and really engaged her,” she says. Anxiety – “about what she is meant to be doing” – often stops Elspeth getting involved in activities. “Dementia is debilitating in so many ways; you always need creative ways to give positive experiences. She was immersed in this and it took her back to a time of happy memories, when she was productive and emotionally fulfilled.”

Elspeth has had vascular dementia for seven years, and finding a point of contact increasingly involves moving to where she is, rather than trying to bring her into the present, says Camilla. “If she is in a place she can identify with, and we can see it too, we are somehow equalised. We are at a stage where we aren’t trying to create memories but to relish positive emotions, dropping the expectation of who Mum was and just being with the person in front of us.”

Elspeth sets off for lunch with her son Dominic, still smiling. It is unlikely, says Camilla, that her mother will remember what has made her feel happy. “The point is that she feels uplifted, not necessarily that she knows why.”

Dan Cole, one of Wayback’s creators, agrees. “If the film can open some memories, start a conversation or bring a smile, that’s a success,” he says. The idea began to form after a drive around Camden, north London, with his father, then in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. “It was his old stomping ground and he kept recognising places and telling me little tales; the pub his dad drank in, where he hung about with his mates, even an alley where he once got into a scrap,” says Dan. “In that fleeting moment it was so clear in his mind. I could ask questions. He could tell me things.”

The effects on his father’s mood, and on Dan’s sense of connection with him, lasted longer. “It was the idea you could move forward by going back, maybe use those memories as a starting point for a shared experience.” The resulting film was made over two days in a north-London street (satellite dishes and other modern trappings digitally removed) with a volunteer cast and crew of 187 and painstakingly sourced period props, costumes and menu (fish-paste sandwiches, notes one Langham Court resident approvingly). Dan’s father, who died three years ago, is among the dedications at the end. The music – beyond the Lambeth Walk – is by Frankie Laine and Guy Mitchell. “My dad’s favourites,” says Dan.

Married couple Ronald and Anne Graham-Clarke are watching the film together. “Oh, this is fun. I feel as if I’m at the party,” says Ronald, 89. Both he and Anne, 84, are chuckling. She taps her foot to the music. Afterwards, Anne tells Sarah Hoare, one of Langham Court’s directors, about watching the coronation at home in Scotland with her parents and sister. “My family bought a TV for the first time to watch it. It was my parents’ wedding anniversary too. It was a great party.”

Anne’s response, says Hoare, is a wonderful example of virtual reality’s potential. “She completely came out of herself because she was relaxed and enjoying herself. I have never actually seen her laugh before.”

Langham Court’s philosophy is based on the Butterfly Household model, devised by Dr David Sheard, a dementia specialist and CEO of Dementia Care Matters, who is supporting Wayback. “People living with dementia become more feeling beings than thinking beings,” he says. “Feelings endure and are more to be trusted when facts diminish.” Facilitating a trip back in time – “to their undamaged longer-term memories” –can, he says, unlock the happy emotions that accompany them. “Wayback offers the opportunity to live in the moment, to go back in time and to just ‘be’ again and to feel validated.”

Reminiscence, using music, photographs, props and role play for instance, is a well-established model of dementia care. Virtual reality, Sheard believes, could provide a useful tool alongside this.

“The biggest risk to someone living with dementia is to lose self-esteem, to feel not connected. Years ago, it was thought to be ethical to remind people of the facts, but how do you put back what is gone from a person’s brain? Eventually activities that tax the brain and short-term memory create stress and ill being.”

The best measure of dementia care, Sheard believes, is wellbeing. “Dementia takes people back to the past as a way to make sense of the now. The feelings generated by an experience can stay for a very long time afterwards.”

Daphne Padfield, 93, is taking her turn with the goggles. “I felt I was really there,” she exclaims, when the film finishes. Did she attend a street party for the coronation, asks Hoare. Daphne’s detailed response is a surprise. “I was actually there,” she says. “My mother, sisters and I had seats on a very good stand. We all had new dresses. They were all dying to tell her about it when we got back to school.” Daphne happily recounts her experiences of the day for some time. “It was such a thrill. I shall never forget,” she says, rather poignantly. “It is forever imprinted in my memory.”

To watch the film in full VR, search for The Wayback VR on YouTube’s mobile app. The Wayback App is coming soon. For more information please visit thewaybackvr.com